Higher Orbits Galactic HQ – March 13, 2025 – Higher Orbits is bringing its flagship program, Go For Launch! to the Denver area at the Colorado Air & Space Port to help inspire students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Students in grades 8-12 will participate in STEM and space-based group activities that are designed to help them develop critical skills needed for success in their future careers.

On April 26-27, students will have the opportunity to work with an Astronaut and other aerospace professionals as they design a spaceflight experiment that could fly to the International Space Station. This unique opportunity offers students the chance to learn through mentorship and in group settings.

Retired NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence will be the featured Astronaut at this event. Lawrence flew as Mission Specialist on four Space Shuttle missions for NASA and believes mentorship and working with students is part of what makes these opportunities so rewarding.

"I always look forward to participating in a Go For Launch! event. To me, this program is what STEM education should be - an opportunity for students to take what they are learning in their science, technology, engineering and math classes and apply this knowledge to challenges outside of their classrooms. During their events, the ideas the students come up with never cease to amaze me," shares Lawrence.

Go For Launch! is the hands-on flagship program of Higher Orbits, a non-profit that aims to encourage students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The program is designed for students of all backgrounds—from the STEM novice to the more experienced—with the hopes of helping ALL students gain the skills and confidence necessary to enter the workforce as the STEMists and Explorers of the future. To date, this program has been conducted 83 times in 21 states resulting in 20 student experiments being sent to space.

The students work with industry professionals on teamwork, communication, research design, and leadership skills. While focusing on spaceflight, Go For Launch! students have the chance to work alongside a featured astronaut at each event to learn and develop important skills that can be applied in any professional field.

This event is made possible in part thanks partnership with Colorado Air & Space Port. “We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Higher Orbits to host our first Go For Launch! educational event. There is no better way to get kids interested in aerospace and STEM then with hands-on projects and hearing from an actual astronaut who spent time in space and that is exactly what this event will do,” shares Jeff Kloska, Executive Director of Colorado Air & Space Port.

Go For Launch! participants not only have access to incredible mentors, they also have the opportunity to compete to design an experiment that could fly to the International Space Station.

One hard working team will be selected as the winners of the Go For Launch! Denver event. Their team's experiment will then further compete against winning experiments selected from other Higher Orbits 2025 series events that are scheduled, which includes events in Cape Canaveral, FL and Mars, PA, among others. Space Tango, a Higher Orbits partner, will then build the overall winner's experiment, which will launch on a future cargo mission to the International Space Station.

“I am so excited to bring Go For Launch! “One Mile Closer” to space at the Colorado Air & Space Port,” said Michelle Lucas, founder and CEO of Higher Orbits. "We run this program all across the country, offering studejts the opportunitu to find space right in their “back yard” and understand that there is a place in STEM and Space for them. We're trying to show them that being a geeky kid who loves space and science is not only cool, it opens doors.

"Go For Launch! Denver is open to students in grades 8-12 from anywhere, and is not restricted to only those residing in Colorado. Running April 26-27, 2025, Go For Launch! Denver will be held at The Colorado Air & Space Port. Interested students can register online at www.GoForLaunch.Denver. Financial aid is available to students who need assistance with the registration fee to attend this event.

Go For Launch! Denver is presented in partnership with the Colorado Air & Space Port and generously supported by the following sponsors:

All Go For Launch! events are supported by our EASE Space Coalition (Ensuring Access to STEM Education through Space) which is supported by Burns & McDonnell. Higher Orbits is truly honored to work with many communities, companies, and individuals. It's through these partnerships that the organization is able to inspire the next generation of STEMists and explorers—the future workforce of our country.

Founded in 2015, Higher Orbits is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization creating an experiential learning lab for secondary school students across the United States, focused on the multi-faceted worlds of space exploration, research, and spaceflight in order to launch the next generation workforce our world desires. www.higherorbits.org